Korea has recently secured hosting duties for 7 major international congresses, set to bring 22,800 participants to the country between 2017 and 2021, as well as 9 corporate incentive tours for 2016, welcoming a further 40,000 visitors. The nation’s busy upcoming events schedule is attributed to a series of active marketing efforts conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO)’s Korea MICE Bureau division across 2015. KTO promotional programs both internationally and domestically in the past twelve months have vigorously sought to galvanize the global tourism market with regard to Korea’s many attractions as a business and leisure tourism destination.

The recent bid wins include The 102nd World Esperanto Congress taking, 22nd Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping, 2018 FISM World Championships of Magic, 2019 International Bar Association Annual Conference, 10th IBRO World Congress, 24th International Congress of Clinical Chemistry & Laboratory Medicine and the 2021 International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) Annual Meeting
The 9 confirmed incentive events also achieved though KTO assistance, set to take place between January and October of 2016, will bring visiting corporate groups from China Headline News, Herbalife, Kang Ting Cosmetics, McDonalds, and Prudential, among others.
The Korea MICE Bureau has maintained a strong and multifaceted marketing drive in recent months, partially in response to the MERS outbreak earlier in 2015, along with ongoing destination marketing programs designed to promote Korea’s attractiveness overseas, especially the Asia-Pacific, its strongest feeder market. A total of 7 promotional incentive roadshows were conducted in the region across the year in India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam, with the assistance of participating local convention bureaus and tourism-related businesses.
In addition, the organization hosted two “Korea MICE Festivals” in Singapore in May, resulting in next year’s Herbalife and Prudential incentive trips in particular, which will bring 10,000 international visitors to the country alone.
Western MICE markets were also targeted through active KTO participation in this year’s AIME, IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX America, and IBTM world expos, again with support from regional Korean convention bureaus and tourism-sector businesses. Closer to home, the KTO made notable returns to the IT&CM, CIBTM, IT&IT&CMA, and ITB Asia MICE and travel shows, while connecting with international buyers at the Korea MICE Expo, the nation’s top business events exhibition.
“Throughout the past year, we’ve made it our mission to extend Korea’s message of welcome to the entire world, and we’re pleased to report that many have accepted that invitation” said Min Hong Min, KTO Executive Vice President for International Tourism. “We will of course continue in our efforts to send that message across the globe: that Korea is both a highly-capable MICE destination for all kinds of events, as well as a fun and dynamic place where there is something for everyone” he added.